Machine for molding composition plugs.



I. E. FARR. MACHINE FOR MOLDING COMPOSITION PLUGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. '2, 1911- JPatented Nov. 2?, 191?;

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A TTOR/VEV V I. E. FARR. MACHINE FOR MOLDING COMPOSITION PLUGS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, I917.

Patented Nov. 2?, 191? 3 SHEETSSHEET 2- WITNESS [r0 E. Farr",

NTOH/VEV I. E- FARR. MACHINE FOR MOLDING COMPOSITION PLUGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I2, I9I7- Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

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IRA. E. FARR, OF WATERIOWN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR MOLDING COMTPOSITION PLUGS.

reasons.

Application filed March 12, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA E. FARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Watertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for lllolding Composition Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for making tapering plugs for paper rolls and has for its objectto provide novel, simple and inexpensive mechanism for molding under pressure composition plugs or bushings to take the place of the common wooden plugs heretofore employed for centering and supporting rolls of wrapping and other paper. A particular object is to provide a powerful quick-acting machine of the class, which is capable of being operated at high speed for compressing a pasty composition into light, compact plugs, which will retain their shape and size, and which can be made at a relatively low cost.

I attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed description which follows, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front side elevation of the complete machine. elevation of the machine. Fig. 8 is a rear end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line lt-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a'partial plan view, and horizontal section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan View of one of the composition plugs.

Heretofore, plugs for paper rolls have usually been turned up out of wood, and bored out to receive shafts or rods upon which the rolls are mounted and rotatable as the paper is used. These wooden plugs are turned up in several standard sizes intended to snugly fit in the ends of the different size rolls of paper. As a rule, the wood from which the plugs are made is green or Wet and the plugs invariably shrink when they become dried out, and many of the wooden plugs when thoroughly dried, crack or split, and are therefore unfit for use. Furthermore, a large proportion of the wooden plugs warp or otherwise get out of shape so that they do not properly fit the openings in the ends of the rolls, and the rolls are therefore liable to get out of shape Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 2 is a front end- Patented Nov, 2?, 191%.

Serial No. 154,288.

or collapse, which interferes with the ready unwinding of the paper when wanted for wrapping purposes. My composition plugs are intended to replace the old wooden plugs in common use without increasing the cost of the plugs, and at the same time my plugs, because of the nature of the ingredients comprising the composition, are not liable to shrink or get out of shape no matter how long they are used. My machine and its operation will now be described.

In the drawings, 2 represents generally a frame preferably made of castiron having a suitable base 3, front and rear side portions at and 5, and end portions 6 and 7. The power for operating the working parts of the machine is supplied to a pulley 8, by a belt (not shown), the pulley 8 being mounted on one end of a shaft 9, which is journaled in bearings 9, located in the front and rear frame portions 4-5. The opposite end of shaft 9 supports a relatively small spur-gear 10, which meshes with and drives a large crank-gear 11, the latter being rigid on a shaft 19. journaled in bearings 12 also located in the frame portions l5.

The plugs, as 13, are formed in a tapering mold 14 mounted upon the top of the front side 4 of the frame, the said mold being in line and communicating with a horizontal passage 15 extending from the mold to the neck of a hopper 16, which supplies the composition from which the plugs are made. The plugs 13 are tapered or conical, as shown, so that they readily and tightly fit into the hollow ends of the paper rolls, and the said plugs, also have a central perforation or bore 13 to receive the usual shaft or rod upon which the rolls are mounted. The bore 13 is formed in the plugs at the time the latter are compressed into shape, by a core or rod 17, which extends horizontally through the mold l4 and the passage 15, and thence to the opposite end of the frame, where said core is rigidly anchored in a block 17 The material of which the plugs are made is composed of wood pulp, preferably oldpaper stock, lime, cement, and water, which is suitably mixed and worked until it becomes a relatively thick paste. This paste is delivered to the hopper 16 and gravitates into the neck 16 of the hopper. Upon reaching the neck the composition encounters a pair of gates lit-18, which are pivoted for opening andclosing the neck of the hopper by a pin 19. Preliminary to com pressing and molding each of the plugs 13, the gates 18-18 are thrown open and a charge of the compositionenters a cylindrical space or cavity 20, which adjoins the passage 15, and through the center of which space the core 17 extends. As soon as the charge of the composition enters the space 20, the gates are closed, thus confining enough of the composition in the said space to make one plug. Following the closing of the gates, a ram. 21 which reciprocates horizontally on the core 17, is moved toward the mold 14 and forces the measured charge of the paste from the cavity 20 through the passage 15 into the mold and compresses the said charge into the form of the plug 13. The ram 21 is a tube, which slidably fits the core 17 and is operated by a pair of links 22, the latter pivoted at their opposite ends respectively to the ram 21, and to the yoke-end of a rocking-lever 23. The lever 23 is pivoted to a projecting arm of the front side of the frame 2, as at 23, and its lower end is in turn pivotally connected to one end of a connecting-rod 24, the opposite end of rod 24 being pivoted to the crank-gear 11. At each revolution of the crank-gear 11, the rocking-lever 23 moves the ram 21 toward and away from the mold 14, for completing the compression of one of the plugs 13. At the start of each forward or compression stroke of the ram 21, a die 25, reciprocatable in a bearing 26 disposed in line with the mold 14 and bearing 17, is moved toward and tightly against the opposite end of the mold 14, for closing the open end of said mold, and serves as a dead-end against which the ram compresses the composition for forming the plugs. The die may bear the name of the manufacturer of the plugs, or the user of the paper (not shown) if desired, which information may be impressed in the larger ends of the plugs. At the instant the ram 21 completes the formation of the plug-13, the die 25 moves away from the mold, and the final compression movementof* the ram ejects the plug from' the mold (see Fig. 1). On its return stroke the ram entirely clears the space 20, so that a sub sequent charge of the composition may be deposited therein when the gates 1S-18 again open. The opening of the' gates is timed to take place while the free end of the ram traverses the space 20, and while the ram is completing its return movement which carries its free end partway into the bearing 20, and before it has time toagain start on its compression'stroke, a portion of the mass of the composition contained inthe hopper gravitates through the open gates and refills the cavity 20 for a subsequent molding operation.

The gates 1818 are operated by a mechanism consisting of the cam 26 mounted on the shaft 12 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5). The cam 26 operates a lever 27 having at its lower end a yoke 28 which straddles the cam, and the arms of said yoke are provided with friction rollers 28 which directly, contact with the cam. The upper end'of lever 28 is rigid on a. shaft 29 journaled in a bearing 29. Shaft 29 also rigidly supports an arm 30 whose free end is in the form of a' yoke 30, which engages a collar or sleeve 31, the latter being slidable vertically on a rod'32, the said rod being supported at 32" in the frame portion 4. To the sleeve 31 is rigidly secured toggle'arms 33 which are pivoted to one end of links 34, the opposite ends of said links being pivoted to the gates The link 35 is pivoted to a plug orpa-rt 36- anchored in a block 37, while the link35 is pivoted to one end of the link 35 and at its other end to the rear end of the die body 25. To the joint between the links. 3535 is connected one end of a rod 38 the other end of said rod being pivoted to an upright rocking lever'39. The lower end of lever 39 supports a'roller'39, which is disposed close to a drum 40, upon the periphery of which, is disposed staggered or spaced cam-cleats 41. As the drum 4O rotates, one of the cleats 41 engages the roller 39 and rocks lever 39, on its pivot 39", in the direction for moving'the die 25 up against the open end of the mold 14, where the die remains until the molding operation is finished (see Fig. 5). The further rotation of the drum brings the other cleat=41 into engagement with the lever 39 and'operat'es it in the opposite direction, which effects the withdrawing of the die away from the mold 14, for allowing the ram21 to eject the plug 13 (see Fig. 1). At each revolution of the shaft 12, drum 40 rocks lever 39, forreciprocating the die 25. So also, each revolution of shaft 12 through the cam 26 and lever 28 sheets the opening and closing of the gates 18'-18'. And dur-' ing the same interval the crank gear 11 carried by said shaft through rod 24, lever 23, and links 22, efiects the reciprocation of the ram 21, for pressing-the composition and molding one of the plugs 13.

The foregoing describes my machine for molding plugs for paper rolls-out of composition material, and itis calculated to operate the said machine at a' sufficiently high speed to effect the molding of ten to twenty thousand of the plugs per day. The composition when delivered to the hopper necessarily contains more or less water, and during the molding operation practically all of this Water is pressed out of the pulp, so that when the plugs are ejected they are comparatively dry and solid and may be used after drying for a few hours.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for molding composition plugs, including a container for composition, a mold, a ram for forcing the composition into the mold, a mechanism for operating said ram, a die cooperating With said ram for compressing the composition into plugs, a cam mechanism for operating said die, and a rod for coring the molded plugs, said rod supporting said ram.

2. A machine for molding composition plugs, comprising a mold open at both ends, a die for closing one end of said mold during the molding operation, a ram for forcing the composition into the mold, means for moving said die away from the mold to allow the ram to eject the molded plugs, a core upon which said ram is slidable disposed concentrically in the mold, and power driven means for operating said ram and said die.

3. A machine for molding composition plugs, including a mold open at its opposite ends, means for delivering measured portions of composition to be forced into the mold, a ram for compressing the composition, a core upon which said ram is slidable extending through the mold, a reciprocating die for closing one end of said mold during the compressing of the composition, means for operating said ram, and means for op erating said die.

4. A machine for molding plugs for paper rolls, including a mold in which the plugs are compressed, a core for forming an opening through the plugs, a ram reciprocatable on said core, means for delivering a measured charge of wet composition for forming each plug into the path of said ram, and a power driven mechanism for operating said ram.

5. A machine for molding composition plugs for paper rolls including a mold in which said plugs are compressed, the ends of said mold being open, a core for perforating the plugs, a pressure ram slidable on said core adapted to force the composition into one end of said mold, a reciprocatable die for alternately closing and openingthe other end of said mold, a power driven mechanism for operating said ram, and a drum and a rocking lever for operating said die.

6. A machine for molding composition plugs for paper rolls including a mold, the ends of said mold being open, a core disposed concentrically in said mold, a pressure ram reciprocatable on said core, adapted to force measured charges of the composition into one open end of said mold, a die for closing the opposite end of said mold during the compressing movement of said ram, a mechanism for reciprocating said die for opening said mold to permit said ram to eject the molded plug at the end of said compression stroke, and a mechanism for reciprocating said ram and for operating said first mechanism.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

IRA E. FARR.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

